"Very chilled, very relaxed" - Naveen-ul-Haq praises Babar Azam's captaincy skills

Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq recently praised Babar Azam's captaincy and expressed his delight at playing under the former Pakistan skipper in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season.

Babar is currently leading the Peshawar Zalmi unit with much success as the side sit third in the six-team race with three wins and two losses. Meanwhile, Naveen has played in only three games for the franchise, picking up five wickets at an average of 27.

However, his economy of over 11 has been concerning for the side as they look to make a push to qualify for the playoffs.

Speaking on a podcast on the team's YouTube channel, Naveen felt the players enjoy playing under Babar, thanks to his cool and calm demeanor.

"From what I have seen, [he is] very chilled, very relaxed. At this stage, you cannot say things to your bowlers or fielders at every instance, you have to step up whenever it is required. All this can be seen [in Babar’s captaincy], we are all enjoying much under his captaincy," said Naveen.

Babar led Pakistan in 134 games across formats with tremendous success, winning 78 and losing 44 at a win percentage of over 58.

However, poor results at the Asia Cup and the subsequent World Cup last year led to him stepping down as the national skipper.

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"Communication with Babar is very easy" - Naveen-ul-Haq

Babar Azam sports a smile during a recent net session.

Naveen-ul-Haq further stated the ease of communication for the players with skipper Babar Azam, thanks to his relaxed attitude.

The former Pakistan skipper led the side to the semi-final and the final of back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022.

"Communication with Babar is very easy, we are both very calm personalities, and there have been no problems between us so far. I believe that when you are calm on the field, it benefits your team. There comes a time when you are having difficulty on the field or you lose, that time you need a leader who remains calm and keeps the team intact," said Naveen.

"If your captain starts to get aggressive and hyper, then it becomes difficult for the entire team. In our first [PSL] match in Multan, I observed that Babar bhai was very calm, everything has been good," he added.

The Babar Azam-led side will take on Islamabad United in a crucial middle-of-the-table tussle of PSL 2024 in Rawalpindi on March 4.